New Orleans jail worker thought he was unclogging a toilet, not helping 10 escape, lawyer says
May 21, 2025
A lawyer for a worker charged with helping 10 men escape a New Orleans jail says the worker did not know about the jailbreak plan. Sterling Williams was arrested Tuesday in connection with Friday’s jailbreak. His lawyer, Michael Kennedy, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the inmates clogged a toilet to get the water shut off so that they could escape through a hole behind it. Kennedy says Williams did not allow the inmates to cut a pipe behind the toilet to create an opening for their escape. Authorities have said that Williams was threatened into turning off the water but could have reported the threat and the men’s plan.
